Interlocking device for portable food service cabinets and the like

ABSTRACT

An interconnecting and locking device for joining portable food service cabinets and the like in side-by-side relation while at the same time adjusting them to be in substantial vertical and horizontal alignment simply by pushing the cabinets together. The device comprises elongated male and female connector members adapted to be secured horizontally along opposed upper edge portions of the cabinets to be joined, the female connector member having an elongated recess along its length and the male connector member having an elongated nose member along its length, both of which are convergently beveled to the outside to serve as horizontal and vertical locating means upon interconnection of the device. Releasable latch means is provided for locking the device in interconnected relation while at the same time providing for manual release for separating the cabinets.

United States Patent 1191 House [451 Feb. 12, 1974 [75] Inventor: BruceF. House, Coral Gables, Fla.

[73] Assignee: Shelley Manufacturing Company,

Miami, Fla.

[22] Filed: May 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 252,428

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,987,356 6/196] Simpson312/198 7 2,100,591 ll/l9 37 Haberstump 2,934,370 4/1960 Love 292/302Primary ExaminerReinaldo P. Machado Attorney, Agent, or FirmErnest H.Schmidt [57] ABSTRACT An interconnecting and locking device for joiningportable food service cabinets and the like in side-by-side relationwhile at the same time adjusting them to be in substantial vertical andhorizontal alignment simply by pushing the cabinets together. The devicecomprises elongated male and female connector members adapted to besecured horizontally along opposed upper edge portions of the cabinetsto be joined, the female connector member having an elongated recessalong its length and the male connector member having an elongated nosemember along its length, both of which are convergently beveled to theoutside to serve as horizontal and vertical locating means uponinterconnection of the device. Releasable latch means is provided forlocking the device in interconnected relation while at the same timeproviding for manual release for separating the cabinets.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR PORTABLE FOODSERVICE CABINETS AND THE LIKE This invention relates to food servicecabinets of the type used in restaurants and cafeterias and is directedparticularly to a novel and improved mechanism for releasableinterconnecting or coupling a plurality of such cabinets in vertical andhorizontal alignment for use as a cafeteria style serving line.

In many public institutions, efficient use of building facilitiesdictates that the dining facilities be combined with one of the largergeneral use rooms such as an auditorium. Such dual use of room faciliteshas become so general, particularly in schools, that the word cafetoriumhas been coined to describe the usage. To accommodate for such use,rollably portable food service cabinets having slide-tray facilities arearranged to form a serving line along the front of which the diningpatrons can pass for food service as in an ordinary cafeteria. In sucharrangements, various interlocking mechanisms have heretofore beendevised for securing food service cabinets thus aligned in more or lessrigid interconnection. The interconnection devices heretofore known,however, have been deficient in one or more respects, principally inthat both horizontal and vertical alignment of adjacent cabinets wasdifficult to achieve, particularly along cabinet lines supported onirregular flooring. Such misalignmentresulted in irregularities in levelof the slide-tray sections at the front of the food service cabinets,thereby interfering with the free sliding motion of trays being pushedalong the serving line.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide anovel and improved mechanism for releasably interconnecting food servicecabinets and the like that, in addition to establishing firminterconnection between adjacent cabinets, at the same time aligns thecabinets both horizontally and vertically.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a locating andinterconnecting mechanism of the character described comprising anelongated, wedgedshaped male connector member adapted for cooperativeinterengagement with an elongated female connector member having acoextensive recess adapted to receive the wedge-shaped member andincluding lock means for releasably retaining the wedge-shaped member ininterfitted relation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locating andinterconnecting mechanism of the above nature the cooperative connectormembers of which are readily adapted for use with a wide variety ofportable food service cabinets for effecting their straight and levelinterconnection whenever required.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a locating andinterconnecting mechanism for portable food service cabinets that willbe simple in construction, easy to install, inconspicuous in appearanceand durable in use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read with the accompanying drawings.In the drawings, where in like reference numerals denote correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, of a pair of side-by-sidefood service cabinets, as seen from behind the cabinets, equipped withinterlocking mechanism embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, similar to that of FIG. 1 but on anenlarged scale, with cabinet portions in vertical section, andillustrating how vertical alignment of the associated cabinets iseffected upon interengagement of the interlocking mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view, taken along theline 33 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows and illustrating howhorizontal alignment of the associated cabinets is effected uponinterengagement of the interlocking mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the male connector member as seenalong the plane indicated at 44 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction ofthe arrows;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the planeindicated at 5-5 of FIG. 2, illustrating constructional details of thefemale connector member and its assembly to its associated cabinet; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line of 6-6 ofFIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows, shown together with theassociated male connector member interconnected therewith andillustrating operation of the releasable latch mechanism for retainingthe connector members in interlocked relation.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, reference characters C1 and C2designate a pair of side-by-side food service cabinets, as seen frombehind, equipped with interlocking mechanism, designated generally byreference numeral 10, embodying the invention and shown in interlockedrelation. The interlocking mechanism 10 comprises a male connectormember 11 and a female connector member 12 which are secured,respectively, to the side-by-side cabinets C 1, C2 to effect theirinterlocking engagement.

The male connector member 11, which is preferably fabricated of sheetmetal, such as of stainless steel, is elongated in shape and is bentalong its length to define a rectangular top surface portion 13, arectangular vertically-downwardly-extending portion 14, and alaterally-outwardly-extending wedge or nose portion 15 the underside ofwhich is directed inwardly to provide a substantially horizontal,rectangular bottom portion 16. The inner end of the rectangular bottomportion 16 merges into a vertically-downwardly-extending rectangularbracket portion 17 The nose portion 15 of the male connector member 11has an outer portion of wedge-shape configuration defined along itslength by upper and lower, outwardly-convergent surface portions 18, 19,respectively merging at their outer ends in a rounded nose-tip portion20. As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, each end of the male connectormembers 11 has welded or otherwise affixed thereto an end plate 21 theupper end of which is formed with an outwardly-extending rectangularattachment bracket portion 22 lying substantially in the same plane asthe top surface portion 13. The end plates 21 are formed withmutually-inwardly-directed, triangular tab portions 23 which smoothlyjoin angularly foreshortened end portions of the outwardly-convergentsurface portions 18, 19 to define thereat convergent, opposed, nose endcam surface portions 24, 25.

The female connector member 12, which is also preferably fabricated ofsheet stainless steel and is elongated in shape, is bent along itslength to define a rectangular top surface portion 26, a rectangular,vertically-downwardly-extending portion 27, ahorizontallyinwardly-extending portion 28, a secondverticallydownwardly-extending portion 29 ahorizontally-outwardly-extending portion 30, a third downardlyextendingportion 31, a second horizontally-inwardlyextending portion 32 and afourth vertically-downwardly-extending bracket portion 33, allcoextensive in length and all substantially rectangular inconfiguration. The Width along their lengths of thehorizontallyoutwardly-extending portion and the secondhorizontally-inwardly-extending portion 32 is substantially equal, andsomewhat greater than the width of the horizontally-inwardly-extendingportion 28, so that the third vertically-downwardly-extending portion 31is somewhat outwardly spaced with respect to thevertically-downwardly-extendin'g portion 27. Thehorizontally-inwardly-extending portion 28, the secondverticallydownwardly-extending portion 29 and thehorizontallyoutwardly-extending portion 30 together define an elongatedrecess 29a for the reception of the nose portion 15 of the maleconnector member 11, as is hereinbelow. more particularly described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, each end of the female connectormember '12 has welded or otherwise fixed thereto an enclosing end plate34 the upper end of which is formed with an outwardly-extending,rectangular bracket portion 35 lying in substantially the same plane asthe top surface portion 26. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 asubstantially rectangular opening-36 is defined by theoutwardly-extending, third verticallydownwardly-extending portion 31 andan outer edge portion of the end plate 34.

Latch mechanism is provided for interlocking the male and femaleconnector members 11 and 12, respectively, when fitted to a pair ofside-by-side food service cabinets or the like, as is hereinafter moreparticularly described. To this end, a cylindrical latch bolt 37 isfitted for sliding up and down movement within a pair ofvertically-aligned openings 38, 39 in thehorizontally-outwardly-extending portion 30 and the secondhorizontally-inwardly-extending portion 32, centrally disposedtherealong. Manual control of the latch bolt 37 is effected by means ofan outwardly-extending con trol rod 40 secured at one end to said latchbolt, and extending outwardly of one end of the female connector .member12 through the rectangular opening 36. As best illustrated in FIG. 5,the outwardly-projecting end of the rod 40 is fitted with a rubber cap,indicated at 41, for use as a hand grip. Upper and lower roundedabutment members 42, 43, welded or otherwise secured against respectiveopposed, inside portions of the horizontally-inwardly-extending portion30 and the second horizontally-inwardly-extending portion 32 provide afulcrum between which the control rod 40 extends (see FIG. 5) forcontrolling the vertical position of the latch bolt 37 by manualvertical movement of the outwardlyextending handle portion of said rod.An arcuate leaf spring 44 is situated betweenthe abutment member 43 andthe latch bolt 37 and constrained between the control rod 40 and theinner surface of the second horizontally-inwardly-extending portion 32of the female connector member 12 serves to normally constrain saidlatch bolt to its uppermost or latching position, as illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, the bottom portion of the maleconnector member 11 is provided with a circular opening 45 forinterengagement by the upper end of the latch bolt 37 upon interlockingengagement of said male connector member with the female connectormember 12, as is hereinbelow more particularly described. As illustratedin'FIG. 6,the upper end of the latch bolt 37 is beveled to provide anoutwardlydirected cam surface portion 46.

In use, the male and female connector members 11 and 12 will be securedalong opposed side portions of adjacent portable food service cabinets,such as food service cabinets partially indicated at C1 and C2 in FIGS.1 and 2. The upper surface portions of such cabinets are ordinarllyprovided with sidewardly-outwardly-extending marginal portions 47, 48against the undersides of which the respective male and femaleinterconnecting members 11 and 12 can readily be attached as by the useof stud-bolts 49 extending through openings provided in the attachmentbracket portions 22 and 35 of respective male connection member 11 andfemale connection member 12. As additional securment means, a pluralityof self-tapping screws 50 are applied through spaced openings along theverticallydownwardly-extending bracket portions 17 and 33 of therespective male and female connector members 11 and 12. As bestillustrated in FIG. 6, if the side walls of the cabinets C1 and C2 towhich the male and female connection members 11 and 12 are attached arefabricated of a reinforced synthetic plastic material, said side wallscan have embedded therein sheet metal members 51 appropriately placedfor receiving the sheet metal screws 50.

In use, whenever a pair of food service cabinets or the like equippedwith the interlocking mechanism 10 embodying the invention are pushedtogether for interlocking engagement, the nose portion 15 of the maleconnector member I 11, being angular or wedgedshaped along its length,will be guided into proper interfitting position within the elongatedrecess 29a in the female connector member 11. Thus, as illustrated inFIG. 2, if the cabinet Cl equipped with the male connector member 11 issomewhat lower than the cabinet equipped with the female connectormember 12, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the lower angular surface portion19 of the nose portion 15 of said male connector member will ride, bycam action, along the juncture corner of thehorizontally-outwardly-extending portion 30 and the thirdvertically-downwardly-extending portion 31 of the female connectormember 12 for guiding said nose portion into the recess 29a while atthe'same time bringing the upper surfacesof the associated cabinets tothe same level. Similarly, if the cabinet C1 should be higher than thecabinet C2 prior to their interconnection, the upper inclined surfaceportion 18 of the nose portions 15 would be guided in cam-like fashionalong the zone of juncture of the rectangular, verticallydownwardly-extending portions 27 and the horizontalinwardly-extendingportion 28 of the female connector member 12 to vetically adjust andguide the nose portion 15 into the recess 29a.

With reference to FIG. 3, it will be seen how the nose end cam surfaceportions 24, 25 provide for horizontal alignment of the cabinets upontheir interconnection. If the cabinet C1 should be somewhat to the rearof the cabinet C2 upon pushing them together, cam surface portion 24 atthe rear end of the nose portion 15 of the male connector 11 will engagethe outer edge of the end plate 34, causing said male connector memberand its associated cabinet to align itself, front-to-back, with thecabinet C2 with which it is to be interconnected. The overall length ofthe nose portion 15 of the male connector member 11, moreover, is suchthat it will fit snugly within the recess 29a of the female connectormember 12, so that nomatter in which direction one cabinet is offsetfrom the other just prior to interconnection, the pushing together toeffect interlocking will at the same time effect vertical and horizontalalignment of the cabinets. It will further be understood that uponinterconnection of the male and female connection members 11, 12, thelower surface portion 19 of the nose portion will slide in cam-likefashion against the inclined upper end surface portion 46 of the latchbolt 37, causing said latch bolt to be pushed inwardly against thereactive urging of the leaf spring 44 until said male and femaleconnection members are fully interengaged, whereupon said latch boltwill spring upwardly into the latch bolt opening 45 of the maleconnector member to maintain the interlocked condition. Whenever it isdesired to unlock the locking mechanism so that the interconnectedcabinets C1 and C2 can be separated again, it is only necessary to pushupwardly upon the hand grip 41 at the outer, rearwardly-extending end ofthe control rod 40, whereupon the latch bolt 37 will be movedsufficiently downward to release itself from the latch bolt opening 45in the male connector member 11, thereby permitting separation of theinterconnecting mechanism 10.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form whichmyinvention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to beunderstood that this embodiment is given by way of example only and notin a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all theembodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. An interconnecting device for joining substantially rectangularportable food service cabinets and the like in side-by-side relationcomprising, in combination, a pair of substantially rectangular,portable cabinets, an elongated male connector member, means forsecuring said male connector member horizontally along an upper edgeportion of one side of one of said pair of cabinets to be joined, anelongated female connector member, means for securing said femaleconnector member horizontally along an upper edge portion of one side ofthe other of said pair of cabinets to be joined, said female connectormember having an elongated, horizontally-extending recess, said maleconnector member having an outwardly-extending, substantially horizontalnose portion of such size as to he slidingly received in said recessupon said pair of cabinets being moved through relatively translatorymotion into side-by-side abutting relation with respect to said one sideof said one of said cabinets and said one side of said other of saidcabinets, guide means along the length of said nose portion and at theends thereof for adjustingly directing said nose portion into saidrecess upon the movement of said nose portion into said recess forinterfittingly connecting said male and female connector members, andreleasable means operative to automatically lock said male and femalemembers upon their being placed into mutual interfitting relation, saidguide means comprising upper and lower, outwardlyconvergent surfaceportions along the length of said nose portion, terminating in a roundednose tip portion.

2. An interconnecting device as defined in claim 1 wherein saidreleasable locking means comprises a latch bolt vertically movable intosaid recess at a central position therealong, an opening centrallydisposed along said nose portion of said male connector member forreceiving said latch bolt, said latch bolt, at the end thereof receivedwithin said recess, being beveled to provide an outwardly-directed camsurface portion for sliding engagement with said nose portion uponinterfittingly connecting said male and female connector members, andresilient means normally constraining the beveled end portion of saidlatch bolt in the direction of said recess.

3. An interconnecting device as defined in claim 2 wherein saidreleasable locking means further comprises asidewardly-outwardly-extending rod affixed at one end to a side portionof said latch bolt and extending outwardly at one end of said femaleconnector member, and fulcrum means between the ends of said rod toprovide for substantially vertical movement of said latch bolt againstthe urging of said resilient means upon the movement of said outer endof said rod in the direction opposite the locking direction of movementof said latch bolt.

4. An interconnecting device as defined in claim 1 wherein said guidemeans further comprises triangular, outwardly-convergent nose end camsurface portions.

5. An interconnecting device as defined in claim 4 wherein saidelongated male and female connector members are fabricated of bent sheetmetal.

6. An interconnecting device as defined in claim 5 wherein thehorizontally-extending recess of said female connector member comprisesa first bent portion of U-shaped configuration extending along saidfemale connector member, and further comprising a second bent portion ofU-shaped configuration extending along said female connector member anddefining an elongated recess beneath said first-mentioned recess, saidreleasable locking means comprising a latch bolt vertically movable intosaid recess at a central position therealong, an opening centrallydisposed along said nose portion of said male connector member forreceiving said latch bolt, said latch bolt, at the end thereof receivedwithin said recess, being beveled to provide an outwardly-directed camsurface portion for sliding engagement with said nose portion uponinterfittingly connecting said male and female connector members, andresilient means normally constraining the beveled end portion of saidlatch bolt in the direction of said recess.

7. An interconnecting device as defined in claim 6 wherein saidreleasable locking means further comprises asidewardly-outwardly-extending rod affixed at one end to a side portionof said latch bolt and extending outwardly through said second recess atone end thereof, and fulcrum means between the ends of said rod toprovide for substantially vertical movement of said latch bolt againstthe urging of said resilient means upon the movement of said outer endof said rod in the direction opposite the locking direction of saidlatch bolt.

1. An interconnecting device for joining substantially rectangularportable food service cabinets and the like in sideby-side relationcomprising, in combination, a pair of substantially rectangular,portable cabinets, an elongated male connector member, means forsecuring said male connector member horizontally along an upper edgeportion of one side of one of said pair of cabinets to be joined, anelongated female connector member, means for securing said femaleconnector member horizontally along an upper edge portion of one side ofthe other of said pair of cabinets to be joined, said female connectormember having an elongated, horizontally-extending recess, said maleconnector member having an outwardly-extending, substantially horizontalnose portion of such size as to be slidingly received in said recessupon said pair of cabinets being moved through relatively translatorymotion into side-byside abutting relation with respect to said one sideof said one of said cabinets and said one side of said other of saidcabinets, guide means along the length of said nose portion and at theends thereof for adjustingly directing said nose portion into saidrecess upon the movement of said nose portion into said recess forinterfittingly connecting said male and female connector members, andreleasable means operative to automatically lock said male and femalemembers upon their being placed into mutual interfitting relation, saidguide means comprising upper and lower, outwardly-convergent surfaceportions along the length of said nose portion, terminating in a roundednose tip portion.
 2. An interconnecting device as defined in claim 1wherein said releasable locking means comprises a latch bolt verticallymovable into said recess at a central position therealong, an openingcentrally disposed along said nose portion of said male connector memberfor receiving said latch bolt, said latch bolt, at the end thereofreceived within said recess, being beveled to provide anoutwardly-directed cam surface portion for sliding engagement with saidnose portion upon interfittingly connecting said male and femaleconnector members, and resilient means normally constraining the beveledend portion of said latch bolt in the direction of said recess.
 3. Aninterconnecting device as defined in claim 2 wherein said releasablelocking means further comprises a sidewardly-outwardly-extending rodaffixed at one end to a side portion of said latch bolt and extendingoutwardly at one end of said female connector member, and fulcrum meansbetween the ends of said rod to provide for substantially verticalmovement of said latch bolt against the urging of said resilient meansupon the movement of said outer end of said rod in the directionopposite the locking direction of movement of said latch bolt.
 4. Aninterconnecting device as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide meansfurther comprises triangular, outwardly-convergent nose end cam surfaceportions.
 5. An interconnecting device as defiNed in claim 4 whereinsaid elongated male and female connector members are fabricated of bentsheet metal.
 6. An interconnecting device as defined in claim 5 whereinthe horizontally-extending recess of said female connector membercomprises a first bent portion of U-shaped configuration extending alongsaid female connector member, and further comprising a second bentportion of U-shaped configuration extending along said female connectormember and defining an elongated recess beneath said first-mentionedrecess, said releasable locking means comprising a latch bolt verticallymovable into said recess at a central position therealong, an openingcentrally disposed along said nose portion of said male connector memberfor receiving said latch bolt, said latch bolt, at the end thereofreceived within said recess, being beveled to provide anoutwardly-directed cam surface portion for sliding engagement with saidnose portion upon interfittingly connecting said male and femaleconnector members, and resilient means normally constraining the beveledend portion of said latch bolt in the direction of said recess.
 7. Aninterconnecting device as defined in claim 6 wherein said releasablelocking means further comprises a sidewardly-outwardly-extending rodaffixed at one end to a side portion of said latch bolt and extendingoutwardly through said second recess at one end thereof, and fulcrummeans between the ends of said rod to provide for substantially verticalmovement of said latch bolt against the urging of said resilient meansupon the movement of said outer end of said rod in the directionopposite the locking direction of said latch bolt.